Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting performance profile for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. The data indicates this combination delivers very high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, with the primary performance characteristic being a significant drop in FPS as resolution increases, pointing to the GPU as the scaling bottleneck at 4K. The combo ranks in the 94th percentile of all tested combinations, showcasing a powerful pairing for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and substantial performance decline as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K, which is the defining characteristic of this combo in Greedfall. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 235 FPS at 1920x1080 to 163 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 97 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 41% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 59%, indicating that the rendering workload at higher resolutions heavily taxes the GPU.

The pattern is consistent across other settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 259 at 1080p to 179 at 1440p, then to 107 at 4K. This shows a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Low settings, the frame rates are 329, 228, and 136 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, representing a 31% drop followed by a 40% drop. At Ultra settings, the averages are 150, 104, and 62 FPS for the same resolution progression, with a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 40% drop from 1440p to 4K.

This consistent scaling pattern across all quality presets strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game at these resolutions. The relative percentage drops between resolutions are nearly identical regardless of the graphics settings. If the CPU were the primary constraint, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU workload would be similar, and a more pronounced difference between settings at the same resolution. Instead, the data shows that the frame rate is almost entirely dependent on the resolution and the associated pixel count, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The RTX 5080, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the component that determines the final frame output in this scenario, and its workload scales directly with the number of pixels rendered.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In terms of raw compute, its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14769, and its single-core score is 2085. These figures place the CPU in the 89th percentile when compared to all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with an average score of 46030 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX with an average score of 46098 (0.1% slower), showing that the Ultra 5 235 sits in a highly competitive performance tier.

For Greedfall specifically, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary, as the resolution scaling analysis indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. However, the CPU’s capability still ensures that it does not become a constraint at any tested setting. The Passmark multi-thread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 provide a general indication of its processing power. The data for this game shows that even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU has less work to do, the combo achieves 329 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain very high performance, but it does not provide direct evidence of the CPU being the limiting factor because the frame rates are so high.

The 14 cores and 14 threads are notable because the processor does not support hyperthreading, meaning each core handles a single thread. Despite this, the benchmark scores are strong, and for a game like Greedfall, which is not typically known for extreme CPU demands, this configuration is more than sufficient. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth also contribute to overall system responsiveness. The fact that the performance drop between 1080p and 1440p is consistently around 31% across all settings, including Low, suggests that even at Low settings the GPU is still the primary limiter, as the CPU has ample headroom to process the game logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination holds a combo rank of 188 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the top 6.4% of all system configurations, which is an exceptionally strong result. The rank of 188 is a direct measure of the combo’s average FPS performance relative to other pairings of CPUs and GPUs that have been tested in this game. This high ranking is consistent with the very high frame rates observed in the measured data, which show the combo exceeding 100 FPS at 4K Ultra and reaching over 300 FPS at 1080p Low.

The percentile for the CPU is 89, and for the GPU it is 87, both of which are high but not top-tier. The combination of a high-end CPU and a high-end GPU results in a performance level that is better than either component’s individual percentile might suggest, likely because the game is well-optimized to use the available hardware. The combo’s rank of 188 indicates that there are only 187 other combinations that perform better, which would include pairings with more powerful CPUs like the Core i9 series or more powerful GPUs like the RTX 5090. The data shows that this particular pairing is highly effective for Greedfall, delivering a smooth experience at all resolution and settings combinations.

When considering the nearest rivals for each component, the CPU’s performance is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, with delta percentages of 0.1% and -0.1% respectively. This suggests that swapping the Ultra 5 235 for either of these CPUs would likely result in negligible FPS differences in Greedfall, since the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, is 2.2% faster in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon 8060S is 0.6% faster. These small deltas imply that the RTX 5080 is in a tightly contested performance bracket, but its specific combination with the Ultra 5 235 still achieves the 188th rank, which reflects the overall balance of the system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptionally high frame rates, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At Low settings, the average FPS is 329. At Medium settings, the average is 259 FPS, with a minimum of 220 FPS and a maximum of 297 FPS. At High settings, the average is 235 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average is 150 FPS. These numbers show that even at the highest quality preset, the frame rate remains well above 144 FPS, ensuring a very fluid experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. At Low settings, the average FPS is 228. At Medium settings, the average is 179 FPS, with a minimum of 152 FPS and a maximum of 206 FPS. At High settings, the average is 163 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 104 FPS. This resolution is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even Ultra settings maintain over 100 FPS on average. The minimum FPS of 152 at Medium settings indicates that frame pacing is consistent, with no significant drops below the average.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still playable, but the demands of 4K rendering are evident. At Low settings, the average FPS is 136. At Medium settings, the average is 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. At High settings, the average is 97 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average is 62 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration where the average frame rate falls below 60 FPS, but it is still close at 62 FPS. The data for Medium settings at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 91, which means that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate rarely dips below 90 FPS. This indicates that the combo is capable of handling 4K gaming, but users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity at 4K may need to adjust settings to maintain higher frame rates.

The progression across settings is consistent at each resolution. For example, at 1080p, the FPS drops by 21% from Low to Medium (329 to 259), by 9% from Medium to High (259 to 235), and by 36% from High to Ultra (235 to 150). At 1440p, the drops are 21% from Low to Medium (228 to 179), 9% from Medium to High (179 to 163), and 36% from High to Ultra (163 to 104). At 4K, the drops are 21% from Low to Medium (136 to 107), 9% from Medium to High (107 to 97), and 36% from High to Ultra (97 to 62). This uniform pattern across resolutions confirms that the graphical settings have a predictable impact on performance, with Ultra being significantly more demanding than High, and Medium being a moderate step up from Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a high-end graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process node. It features 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. The GPU’s base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz. It is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU’s FP32 performance is rated at 56.28 TFLOPS. These specifications place it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56083. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, is 2.2% faster in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon 8060S is 0.6% faster.

In Greedfall, the GPU’s role is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The consistent percentage drops in FPS from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings are a direct result of the GPU’s workload scaling with pixel count. The RTX 5080’s 16 GB of VRAM is sufficient for all tested settings, as there is no indication of memory-related performance issues, such as stuttering or severe frame drops. The minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (91 FPS) and 1440p Medium (152 FPS) are relatively close to the averages, suggesting that the GPU maintains consistent performance without thermal or power throttling.

The GPU’s high memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s is particularly important at 4K resolutions, where the amount of data required to render a frame is significantly higher. The boost clock of 2617 MHz allows for high compute throughput, which is necessary to maintain playable frame rates at Ultra settings. The data shows that the RTX 5080 can handle 4K High settings at an average of 97 FPS, which is a demanding workload. The GPU’s performance in this game is in line with its overall benchmark scores, making it a strong choice for high-resolution gaming. The 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores are present in the architecture, but their specific impact on Greedfall is not directly measured in the provided data; however, their presence contributes to the overall processing capability of the card.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 235. This is one of the highest frame rates recorded for this combo, indicating that 1080p High is well within the capabilities of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 62. This is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the measured data, but it remains above 60 FPS, indicating that the combo can handle the most demanding configuration tested, albeit with a narrower margin.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 235 at 1920x1080 to 97 at 3840x2160. This is a 59% reduction in frame rate, demonstrating the significant impact of resolution on the GPU’s workload.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the limiting factor in Greedfall for this combo?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. The percentage drop in FPS between 1080p, 1440p, and 4K is nearly identical across all quality settings, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU’s high benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, suggest it has sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 152 and the maximum FPS is 206, with an average of 179. This indicates consistent frame delivery without major drops below the average.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations in Greedfall?

A: The combo holds a rank of 188 out of 2938 tested combos. This places it in the top 6.4% of all configurations, showing that it is a very high-performing pairing for this game. The CPU’s percentile is 89 and the GPU’s percentile is 87, but their combination yields a rank that is better than either component’s individual standing.